What we leave behind (Reverse Falls)
by Theresa Kammerhofer
Summary: "It was my prison and my burden to take. Including the demons inside." -Will It's simple. It's cruel. And it would have lasted for all eternity. Wouldn't there suddenly be that weird words in Wills head, telling him things. It's not his own voice and he wasn't turning crazy. So what is it? What does it want? And most of all: Why does it want Will to kill himself?
1. Pinetree

Beneath his steps the floor gave in as if it didn´t want to touch that person. It cracked and moaned, like it was feeling pain from every strife of his polished shoes. I could relate, and if I would have been able to I would have done the same. But this room full of darkness... it was my prison and my burden to take. Including the demon inside.

Every sound, every rustle of fabric stated a threat. And as he stopped and finally spoke I was - like always - surprised. His voice, not the hissing of a snake, not the shriek of some apoplectic monster, but smooth like velvet. Seducing the whole town in believing that he was a perfectly normal citizen.

What a fraud.

"You woke up."

One step closer. The rare beams of light that dared to enter this godforsaken room started to caress the tips of his shoes.

"Good~"

The way his voice shifted and how his face split with a grin, made my body shiver from reflex. He leaned down to me, his oh so blue eyes glowing in the light now.

"You will regret that you ever opened your eyes."

I already did.

4:55 am

I am sitting in my "prison cell" - there is no other way to describe it. A small room, walls, floor and ceiling from stone, thick layers of dust and dirt everywhere. Not even a small window or any source of light.

Doomed to wait in the dark I sat awake the whole short night. Too painful it was, to lay down on the hard ground with all my bruises and wounds but it was also too exhausting to stay awake… Time ticked away so slow in here and sometimes I even wished for the day to come again, just to regret the thought as soon as the heavy door unlocked and opened.

Mabel Gleeful.

All brown, long coils of hair, an unpredictable temperament and more than just a hint of sadism. She was the one I feared the most in this wicked place. But she was the first face I saw every morning at exactly 5 o´clock. And it was her, who decided if this day would be only a painful farce or hell itself.

"Good morning, my little wimp!"

The woman in blue stepped inside. The sound of her high heels echoing loud from my tomb´s walls.

"Let´s get you ready for another nice day~"

She giggled and uncurled a leash in her right hand. No dog could ever feel more miserable than me right now. But at least the "Fury", how I used to call her, seemed to have a good day. Normally she loved to wake me from my rare sleeps with a stab in my shoulder.

Today she just attached the leash to my collar and pulled me on my wobbly feet. My ripped, dirty clothes hang from my peaky body and I probably looked like a ghost. Well… A ghost that was wrapped into bloodstained bandages.

That didn´t mean, that Mabel would show mercy. Oh no. The moment I would show any pain, she would start to increase it. Like a shark that smells blood and gets eager for more. So I just hold my breath and try to not stumble each time she pulls at my collar. The fact that I lost my tongue to one of her tantrums made at least that a little easier.

"Get that clothes off."

We were standing in a cold room plastered with white floor tiles now. I was shivering. Oddly enough that the Fury did not. Yet we had this ritual every day over the last couple of years and so I just did what she wanted till I stood in front of her split naked – only covered by the bandages, the collar and my arms wrapped around myself to keep the last bit of warmth inside my body.

The brown-haired grinned slightly and let her blue eyes travel over my broken-down vessel those two bastards hat forced me into.

"What a pitiable sight you are. I get sick from you. Tha! And you claim to be a demon? Pathetic."

She stepped closer and pulled harsh on the leash. A tormented sound escaped my tightly sealed lips as my knees hit the hard floor and a second one as she grabbed into my messy, blue hair and pulled my head back till I thought my spine must be breaking any second.

"Do you hear me, _William?!_ You are a little coward and should be glad, that we don´t just leave you to rot in that damn cell! You are not good for anything! Maybe I should just kill you right here and summon a REAL demon! Not such a wimp like you!"

I clinched my teeth and closed my eyes as she pushed me back even more and I swear, I heard my back crack.  
"Pathetic!"

The Fury hissed snidely and pushed me over. My head hit the ground with a nasty sound and white stars exploded in front of my eyes. Pain shot through my whole body. The world spun around me. But there was the shark again – biting at the injured pray once more:

Mabel clutched me at my throat and pulled me up – her blue eyes glowing.

"You filthy creature."

She started to grin again and some part of me told me, that that spark in her eyes was not the light… but pure insanity as she chocked me harsher.

"Yes. You are a creature. Not even a dog anymore!"  
She lowered her face to mine, while I fought against her grip although I knew I had no chance.

"You haven't earned the ground you are laying on. But you will. You will pay it with your blood!"

Mabel giggled and pulled a knife from her belt. Fear took me over. In panic I clawed at her hand around my neck and scratched some bloody lines into her skin which didn't seem to bother her.

The blade stroke over my shoulder and then started to cut. Deeper… Deeper. Blood was oozing out of me once more and I gave off a moan. I couldn't even beg her to stop… I couldn't…

As she had cut my tongue out that day, she had held the bloody muscle in her hand and her eyes were cold as ice as she had said: _"What a pity… now I can´t hear your beautiful words anymore that tell me to stop~"_ Then she had laughed…

Like she was right now as she let the blade hover over my tearstained face. Over my eye. No. No no no no! Please don't! I was fighting for my life now, tried to back off. Why was her grip that strong?! Slowly, incredibly slowly the knife lowered down – ready to take another of my senses away. I tried to scream, call for help that would never come.

"You know that our uncles will go nuts again when you do that."

There…. The knife stopped.

"Tse. What do I care about them?!"

Mabel turned her head angrily to look at her brother, my savior … (or just another monster luring in the shadows), which leaned in the door casually.

"They will punish you again."

"Get lost brother. What are you doing down here anyway?!"

Dipper sighed, pushed himself off the doorframe and stepped into the room. His eyes were the same as hers but in all this years I had been trapped with this family I had never seen a spark of passion in them. Not like in his sisters eyes right now.

"You can do with him as you please as long as he is still able to do his work properly, Mabel. Bad enough, that you cut his tongue out."

Dippers gaze travelled unmoved to the knife still directly over one of my eyes and then back to his sister, which had a cocky grin over her face again.

"Naww~ Is my little brother afraid, that I could hurt his toy~?" She giggled and shot me one last look before she simply let go off my neck, making me crash down on the floor once again, and stood up – standing face to face with her brother, "You two better get yourselves a room~"

Silence spread, I didn't even dare to cough while the two siblings stared at each other like they would kill the other one every second now. The tension in the room grew and grew, till it was nearly unbearable. I was sure, if I would now make a sound, someone would die. Probably me. So I lay there: Cheek pressed on the floor, breath held, supressing any shiver and hoping that not a single drop of blood would decide to fall on the floor.

Dipper and Mabel hated each other. Everyone knew that in here…. And that they were both using magic, like the rest of the family, didn't make their fights any less scary….. or deadly.

Suddenly there was a call from up above, breaking the silence. Stan was once again in a bad mood as it seemed.

Dipper stepped back, his face still a mask of emotionlessness: "Haven´t you promised to help Stan, sister? You are already running late as it seems."

Mabel rolled her eyes and hissed quietly, like a snake, that had to let go of her pray.

"You are just as useless as that wimp. Maybe you fit quite nicely to him." She leaned forward till their faces nearly met and grinned even wider "We will settle this one day, brother-heart~ And then you will lay in the dirt, like that wimp you really are."

"We will see."

Mabel flicked her tongue abusive and rushed by her brother into the darkness of the hallway.

I still didn't dare to move. Mabel and her sadism might had left the room, but she had been replaced by her brother, the "Iceberg" as I called him in my mind. Dipper was always very quiet, he never lost many words and never showed any emotion, what made it quite exhausting for everyone to deal with him, including me.

But Dipper could be cruel too. In a more subtle way than his sister, yet even more effective. He was not someone who liked to leave marks, but he knew how to create and use fear as his weapon.

Right now though, I was just glad, that he had come by.

The brown-haired male turned his gaze away from the door and fixed it on me, who slowly tried to get back on his feet.

"Get dressed."

His voice sounded dark and monotone, but his gaze was the one thing, that made me twitch together. Deep lakes of glowing blue. Merciless blue.

With blowing cloak Dipper left the shower room, leaving me alone.

It was only 5:28 o´clock.


	2. Crescent shaped symbol

Whatever positive feelings I had had in the morning for the Iceberg, now they were gone. I was standing in front of the door to his chambers, not really motivated to knock. Well… who would be excited to knock on a psychopath´s door at all?

 **No one.**

Exactly. Wait, what? Did I think that? Of course. It´s my head. No one else is able to do that.

I blinked a little confused but shook my head. I was obviously turning crazy in here. My attention turned to the fateful, heavy door in front of me again that still waited for a knock. Or another victim. Who knew… it always seemed to emit shadows and it felt like cold hands were reaching out from it. Although I think that´s more Dippers aura than the door´s.

Pushing those thoughts away I knocked at the wooden gate and entered after a short, muttered: "In."

The room behind it was clear and straight. No curtains, no carpets and no paintings. Just perfectly tidied up and sorted shelfs filled with books placed along the walls and a blank desk, except for an antique nib that moved across a document on it´s own.

Dipper himself was sitting in his old armchair, legs crossed, blue eyes darting out of the window in silence. He was concentrated. Even though he didn't show it, I could sense his sharp thoughts cutting through the mindscape around him – keeping the nib busy. Somehow that was our ritual.

He always called me in and didn´t speak a single word until he had finished the task he was currently working on. And I was waiting next to the door. Always. Because if not… well… I could still feel some of the consequences that had.

 **He is a cruel man, isn´t he?**

I nearly jumped at those words and caught myself glancing around searching for the origin of them. My mind was racing all of a sudden, my thoughts roaring out loud. No. I had to be dreaming. Or I still had a lack of oxygen from the action in the bathroom.

Slowly I closed my eyes and forced myself to breathe through. What the heck was going on here… Pull yourself together Will!

Maybe, just to proof myself that I was still in charge of my own body and mind, I straightened my back and focused at a point right across the room.

 **Oh my. You are the last one to be in control of your psyche and matter.**

This time I really twitched together and shot Dipper immediately a look to see if he had noticed my movement… and I have to admit, that I kind of hoped to see his annoyed face, stating that he heard that voice too. But it didn´t seem so or he didn't bother.

 **Just recall that morning. Mabel was about to take your eye in addition to your tongue and you couldn't even… put up a proper fight. You didn't even try to.**

The voice just continued and ignored obviously my efforts to supress it. Still… it was right. Even though I didn't know where or from whom it was coming from, it was stating facts that were stinging in my stomach.

 **You once were a great demon. One everyone feared. Look at you now: "A pitiable sight" as Shootingstar called you. Or that guy over there… isn´t he just as bad as she is? Commanding you around, filling your life with pure anxiety just as the rest of this godforsaken family.**

 **I pity you.**

"Who are you?!"

The words – or more the sounds - were over my lips faster than I could realise my mistake. Just as fast I heard the armchair creaking as it turned. Fabric rustled and I swallowed hard.

Oh crap.

"Come here."

That silky voice most of the townsfolk knew had turned into a sharp blade, cutting right through the air, while his stare drilled right through me. My eyes however where glued to the floor. The temperature in the room was in- and decreasing at the same time. Shivers ran down my spine, describing slaloms around fields of goose bumps on my back. I fucked up.

Panic. That´s all I felt. It formed a hard ball in my guts and grew even more unbearable with every step I forced myself to do towards the desk, the Iceberg was still sitting behind.

Damn voice. Damn thoughts. Fuck! But it was too late to pull away now. I couldn't even apologize! Oh god. Nervously my eyes darted back and forth while my legs grew more and more wobbly – it felt like my body was able to detect upcoming pain from instinct, like it had learned to predict it.

And my mind? My mind was a void. And at the same time filled up with scraps of thoughts, of sentences and memories, of emotions and fears. Somehow I felt like…like and animal trapped in a corner. Or no. More like a pig running towards it´s shambles.

"Kneel."

For the slip of a second our eyes met and instantly I felt ice-cold hands taking a hold on me. My knees gave in even without my help.

 **No spine left. All bent. All broken.**

The new voice in my head sounded like it was mocking me. It echoed through the chaos in my head and, maybe I was imagining things, but I could swear that I could hear a quiet laughter in the back of my consciousness.

Dipper meanwhile was as cold as ever. His eyes monitored every single one of my movements. Cataloguing every shiver of mine. From there a long silence spread through the room in wish not even the nib dared to move.

What have I done? Why did I make that damn sounds?! Damn you, thing in my head! Whatever you are, I curse you! Because what would happen now… would be just another nightmare on my list.

"Stop making so much noise. I can´t stand that."

Slowly I opened my eyes, which I had closed in anticipation of my punishment.

"Have you understood?"

Dippers voice still had that strict tone to it, but… not that razor-like sharpness anymore, so I dared to look up to him. His face was cool as always, his eyes bright blue ponds of clear water. And there was no threat at all…

What?!

The brown-haired man scanned me for another second and then simply turned to his work again.

That was it? Had I missed something? Did I hit my head in the bathroom to hard or travel to another Dimension? What-

"Get my documents. We drive in 20 minutes."

With a swift movement the Iceberg ordered the magical nib to stop and lifted the freshly written scripture from the desk, ignoring the enquired look on my face.

"We are going to visit a relative."

Slowly Dipper let the sheet of paper sink down on the desk again and for the first time in a long while now I experienced two things: An emotion - supressed anger - on his face… and a certain name spoken:

"My uncle. Stanley."


	3. Sixfingered Hand

The man Dipper was referring to was one of the weirdest people I have ever met. And Dipper hated him. Stanley Gleeful was reckless, talkative and certainly knew how to make money out of everything. He would even be able to sell simple rock for horrendous prices to every innocent passer-by he choose to become his next victim.

To describe him as a good human being would be a mistake but from all the people in this wickedest of all families he was the one I sympathized with the most. Hmmm… or no. He was the easiest to bare. His jokes sometimes were horrible but yeah, he was nothing like his brother – a fact I really appreciated.

But nevermind - the Iceberg and his uncle had some real issues with each other, one of the reasons Dipper loathed to visit his relative, and the reason he was short tempered right now.

We were sitting in the limousine: Dipper with casually crossed legs staring at his documents without reading them and me, watching the landscape moving by, while sitting as far away from the kid as possible.

I was glad that I finally had some time to think over what had happened the whole day long. Dipper would be sorting his thoughts anyway till we would reach Stans residence in the woods - a house that may look like some shack to most tourists but hid much greater secrets. So I had time. At least a little.

That voice from before…. It unsettled me and yet, as much as I tried, I couldn´t find any clue or trace of it in my mind. It had vanished again. Maybe that was it. Maybe it had lost interest in the pathetic little demon – no. I am not even allowed to call me that anymore - _thing_ I now was. That ominous presence… what had it been? What had it wanted?

We drove down the street and into the woods that turned so very fast from a beautiful, light-flooded place into a valley of darkness and shadow. Humans really had a weird taste for aesthetics. Or at least the architect of the shack that was located there.

"Sir? We are here."

The driver interrupted my thoughts and drew my attention back to the Iceberg again. Dipper had laid his head back against the seat and had fixed an undefined point on the ceiling of the now stopped car. Slowly and cold Dippers eyes streaked down to the window and became fixed on the wooden house in front of him. A shadow fell over his eyes and I shivered out of reflex as he silently sighed and opened the door.

Without a word Dipper slid out of the vehicle and I followed behind him. As much as I cursed that kid, I always admired his smooth movements, his way to talk… oh so different than his sister. All of the Gleefulls would be quite interesting individuals actually, if I wouldn't have to depend on their mercy.

Behind us the limousine drove off and left us alone in the dark of the looming trees surrounding us. Even during a sunlit day, only rare beams of light would find their way down to the bottom of those tremendous booms, which meant, that on a day like this, where the sky had decided to put up a wall of steel between the inhabitants of this planet and itself, we walked through nearly liquid darkness.

But the Iceberg walked imperturbably towards the shack that seemed to sit on its clearing like a monster, looming in the night, with glowing eyes

"Don´t sympathize with him."

Dippers voice reached me, even though he didn´t turn around and I twitched together because of the sudden violation of the quietness around us. I nodded even though I knew the Iceberg wasn´t able to see me. But I didn´t think that he wanted an answer anyway.

"I hope this won´t take too long."

We reached the entry and as unwilling to see his great-uncle as Dipper had seemed in the car, as determined did he now knock on the slightly crooked door. I waited a few feet behind. Rumbling noises emerged from the inside of the shack and suddenly somebody opened us with an energetic movement.

There he was. Like a storm.

Stanley, a man in his late 60s, a designer-stubble and a broad grin, rushed out of the house in blue shirt and darker pants just to come to a halt right in front of Dipper.

"Oi kid! You are here!"

He tousled the kid´s hair and I couldn't remember such a murderous glare on the Iceberg's features since a long time. (Since the last time we have been here.) But Dipper just growled quietly and slapped Stan's hand away.

"Uncle", he greeted, "Please stop that behaviour. It is unnecessary to a-"

"My, my, Dipper! Relax! Drop that stuck-up talk and come in!"

The old man snickered and stepped to the side to let Dipper enter the shack. That guy… That guy was the only person who dared to talk to Dipper that way and he didn´t even notice what aggressions he caused through it. He simply didn't bother.

Dipper's eyes circled in their sockets from annoyance and he stepped in without another word. Slowly I followed, unsure of what would happen when I´d pass by the human I called the storm in my mind. It always seemed to be like that: Stanley unsettled me and made me nervous because he wasn´t predictable.

Even right now I couldn´t read his intentions as he, instead of joining dipper, waited at the door for me to close in and had his gaze locked on my feeblish body the whole time.

"The kids give you a rough time, Will, what?"

Stan placed a hand on my shoulder, which made me feel, let´s say uncomfortable, but I dared to look up into his eyes now. His expression had changed to a more serious one. One that showed something I didn't understand. Was it affection? Sadness? Or was there something more…? Hidden beneath that mask. Something that tried to tell me an information that would be important… but I couldn't make it out.

 **You are turning crazy again. What a pity.**

The voice came up so sudden, that I shied away from both: the words in my head and Stan's hand. Stan furrowed his brow and let his hand slip off my shoulder, his gaze digging deep into my eyes as he whispered with low, concerned voice:

"Will. What was that in-"

"Are you done, old man? Let that futile demon be", Dipper interrupted with an annoyed tone.

For a few more seconds we stared into each other's eyes, mine filled with fear, his with skepticism. But then Dipper's great-uncle turned away and walked over to his nephew.

"I am coming."

Did Stanley just… notice… the voice? Or was I overreacting?

From one second to the other my mind was racing again. Thoughts tumbled through my head uncontrolled till that voice shushed them again:

 **So he noticed me. What an interesting human-being.**

"What do you want?!" I replied in my head, frustration taking over myself as I heard that thing stating it´s satisfaction of being caught red-handed.

 **What I want? Oh, nothing. I am just an observer.**

"Observers normally don´t speak."

I was losing my patience with the voice. It´s singsong was annoying and I had a really hard time concentrating on my surroundings, for example Dipper and Stanley moving to the office, while dealing with this nonsense.

 **Is that so? Never saw a rule-book for guardian angels. Still new to the business, you know.**

"You are-"

 **Maybe it´s time to tell you. I am-**

A loud bang ripped the voice off.

The two Gleefulls had seated themselves at a round table, documents and other papers all over it, just a few seconds ago. They had wanted to discuss something I hadn´t listened to. But now they were both standing. Blue eyes glowing and glaring at each other.

All the documents were burning with blue fire except for a red book in the middle, a golden hand printed on its cover and a black 3 on top of that.

"This is nothing you should know of!" Stan was obviously filled with anger as he hit the table with one of his heavy fists.

"Why are you and Stanford keeping this away from us?" Dipper meanwhile seemed calmer but beneath his voice loomed a dark rage, only concealed from his own self-control. One hand floating over the red book, the other one lifted, ready to use that fearful magic the whole Gleeful- family was capable of. "And where are the other ones?"

"You are not even supposed to have one of those. Those books could cause so much destruction. They could ruin the whole world! Where did you even get this?! Did you steal it?! Answer me, Dipper!"

I stood there motionless, pressing myself back into the shadows of the corner I was standing in. If this situation would escalate… oh my… who knew what would happen then!

The Iceberg grimaced snidely.

"I didn´t steal it. I borrowed it. You should have told us earlier! All of those facts! All of that knowledge! Just under our eyes and you two old men kept it away", a second time this day a shadow fell over Dipper's face, "Tell me, _Stan_ ; where are the others?"

Oh I hoped the shadows could grant me their protection because if not… The tension in the air was nearly unbearable. Dark smoke was streaking through the air, carrying bluely glowing ash with it. It burned in my lungs and would have made me coughing…. But I didn't dare.

"You will leave my house right now, boy." Stan straightened up his posture and pointed towards the door, his eyes still fixed on Dipper. "Even if I wanted to, and that´s the last thing that´s accurate, I wouldn't be able to tell you where those journals are. Ask Ford. And leave. Now."

The Iceberg bared his teeth and growled: "You are just as insufferable as your brother, Stanley! You two shall go to hell! You will regret this! You hear me?!"

He wanted to grab the red book but Stan snapped his fingers. Blue sparks flickered to life and moved through the air around the journal like living creatures, like fireflies. Burning, aggressive fireflies that crackled and hissed at Dippers hand and left nasty looking burns each time he tried to grab the old book.

"Oh, be assured, I heard you Dipper", Stan snarled, "And now: Get out of here! Before I forget, that you are my nephew, kid."

Frustrated and rageous Dipper sent his great-uncle a last murderous look, then rushed past me towards the front door, which fell into its lock with a loud bang after him.

Relieved I gave myself permission to sigh and relax a little. This whole scene could have exploded quite literally.

A quite sound from wood moving over wood drew my attention again. Depleted Stanley had sunk down in his chair and now sat there feeble. I pitied him a little. His only nephew was possessed from an insatiable hunger for power and his niece was a sadist. What a combination.

"Do you remember the days" the beaten man started to speak with rough voice, his eyes tracing the peacefully floating fireflies that were dying one by one, "before they tricked you?"

Of course I didn´t answer. But I knew what he meant.

Slowly I drew nearer and stopped next to him, listening to the words that man spoke:

"Life wasn´t easy for sure. It had ups and downs. But it was worth living. Then you came to town. Nobody knew from where."

He turned his head to face me. His eyes sad.

"Not that I blame you of what happened, Will. I was ignorant. My brother searched for answers and the kids…. Well… I don´t know. Maybe they always had that side to them."

A deep silence spread over the shack, coating us two: a human and a demon, beneath it. Oh I remembered everything. Stan has never known his relatives. And I had been naive. They had tricked me, lured me in the dark, away from the others that truly had wanted to help me. Dipper and Mabel. Two humans, or should I say devils, that acted so very neat. Earning my trust, driving me deeper into their dept. And as they came asking for a payback it was only natural that I would offer my magic.

After all they had been my friends…

"Before they tasted your energy, they were normal kids. Played outside. Solved riddles and explored the town for new secrets to find. But after that… they changed."

Again there was quietness and as Stan started once again speaking it was hard to understand him:

"I read everything about it. Even asked my brother for help. But all I could find was, that demonic power may be a bad influence but doesn't necessarily turn somebody into an…. Abomination like they are at this moment! Even my brother has joined that horrifying band…. And, to find a solution, I did it too.

That´s not an excuse. But it´s still a fact. We are monsters now. The Gleefulls have turned to beasts that use demonic power and the only ones that could break the seal are the ones searching for even more of this insanity! Oh my kids…"

I didn´t really know what to do in this situation. Stanley Gleeful was near tears in front of a weird red book after his nephew had told him to go to hell. What was I, a mute, supposed to do?

…

But the next moment this decision shouldn´t be mine to make anymore.

 **You are screwed.**


	4. Shootingstar

With a sudden loud bang and accompanied by a burst of wind the door to the shack flew open, leaving the lock broken. A wave of energy hit us two as Stanford Gleeful stepped inside the building. My eyes darted towards the man that approached us with blowing cloak and a mask of anger over his normally unmoved face.

"Stanley!" His voice crashed the room beneath itself just like an enormous hammer would have. "What the hell is going on here?!"

"That´s what I would like to ask you."

Ford rushed by me towards his brother without even giving me a single look and pushed me away. I fell against the wall. Stayed there. Glad, that they didn´t pay me any attention.

"How could that brat find my journal, Stanley? I hid them well. Without a hint or a clue from someone who knows their location he would have never found it!"

"Are you accusing ME of telling him? Maybe you are just underestimating your own nephew, Ford!"

They stared at each other furiously and didn´t stop as Stanley slowly stood up and got on one eye level with Ford. Energy built up all around them and even I could feel the pull inside me. Normally there was no real border to the amount of "magic" – how the inhabitants of this planet called it - I, or here the Gleefulls through me, could use for their bidding. Yet those humans had mastered to absorb and build up so much of it at once that my vessel wasn´t enough to canal all of it and got to feel the consequences of its life source being sucked out.

It wasn´t painful… but frightening. In this little room was enough concentrated energy to blast this whole town off any map and they were still continuing. I could just hope that those humans really had the ability to pilot this amount of power.

"You know what Ford. If those godforsaken books are so frigging dangerous that no one should ever see them, then why don´t you just take them, start a little camping fire and burn them to ashes? Then they would have at least SOME purpose!"

Oh my.

I wanted to intervene. Tell them, how crazy this was. This book was nothing else but a frigging BOOK! Why are the Gleefulls always fighting over the smallest of things?!

 **They are arguing because it's not some simple book.**

There it was again. The voice.

"And what is it then", I asked my mind back, not really wondering about its random appearance anymore.

Instead of the voice Ford already answered the questions: "Oh you shut your mouth, Stan! You have no idea about the secrets that are hidden within those pages and we can only pray that the children don't know either!"

The two old man glared at each other and for a silent moment the tension quivered between them, until the newcomer straightened his posture as well as his face and temper again. Both or more like all three of us relaxed a little. The open threat gone. For the moment at least.

"You should be glad about those books, you old fool", Ford continued, "It made you part of something inconceivable! You can enjoy the outrageous benefits of my research without paying any price. With this futile demon as catalyst we can do as we please and I would rather make sure it stays like that instead of letting some inane brats ruin my work."

I didn't even flinch at this insult. I had learned that they were true to some extent.

 **Do you really think so?**

What would I have given for a good old sigh as the voice interfered once more with my thoughts. Nevertheless I held my mouth shut. Too dangerous people were around.

"Yes I do."

 **So you really think you are powerless? Helpless? A fool?**

"Have you seen the position in which I am currently? It's not like I could change much about it."

 **You lost any faith, huh? You like being their plaything. Or no. You fell for their tramp and since then you have only pitied yourself, held your head low and waited for the next hit.**

"I don't like being some ball tossed around, but yeah that sums it up quite well."

For some seconds the voice was silent. And if it wouldn't have been just a hallucination I would have concluded that it gathered its thoughts.

 **But what about the book.**

"What do you mean?"

 **Stanford Gleeful just told you that in this book on the table lays the key to your chains and you didn't even listen? Come one. You can't be such a moron.**

Shouting ripped this senseless discussion off once more and I focused on my surroundings again.

"Glad?! Are you arrogant enough, that you can't even see, how all of this godforsaken magic-trash ruined our family", Stanley was near rage, his clenched hands shaking. "All of you turned into monsters! Are you this blind, brother? Why are you seeking for even more? Isn't what he have enough?"

At the end he sounded so desperate and sad, that it made even me feel empathy for him. A broken man was standing over there, looking into the ice-cold eyes of his once dear relative. They had parted so much in practically no time.

But Ford always has been a merciless individual and so he stood there unfazed, listening to the pleading of the grown man in front of him and simply answered: "I am and always will be a pragmatist, Stanley. And I get the impression that you really are the pathetic little coward that can't see the opportunity just in front of him, who I always thought you were."

Stanford proofed his cruel heart as he didn't just turn around and left after this. Instead he had the insolence to simply take a seat at the table, still staring down his brother like some insect he wanted to step on, disgust all over his face.

I just stood there, watching all this and wondering, how the simple gift of power could change human beings in this massive way. Being cruel was one thing, but breaking his own brother something else. Respect.

Stans posture meanwhile slumped down and he closed his eyes as he sighed, falling back into his chair, the faithful, red book positioned right between them. In this old, dusty book should be the way out of my situation? It really didn't look like some solution to anything, but what did I expect? Some heavenly trumpets playing for me while some hero appears to save me?

 **A demon.**

Yeah, in addition to my already unfortunate fate that was also a fact. Who the hell would ever save a demon from _humans_?

However, Stan sighed and gave the book a toss in Fords direction who immediately put one of his remarkable six-fingered hands on it like it was some treasure he had to protect. In some way he reminded me of a dragon on its pile of gold. He tried to look composed but I could see how even his blue eyes followed its movement and stayed on the red cover way too long as to be in any way appropriate.

"Get us some tea", he commanded without speaking directly towards me. Well, it was logical anyway to whom he was referring.

I turned on the spot and went into the kitchen, now concentrating more on the conversation between the Gleefulls. Maybe the voice was right after all…

"You want to continue your search, then go on, Ford. But I won't endorse anything that has to do with some demons power. No matter how secure you think this is. It doesn't belong here."

"In this book is a third of my knowledge written down. All of this is from just around here. So no Stanley, you are wrong. It belongs here. It already is here! And if you are referring to that demon, he turned up by himself. I just took the chance. "

 **So Ford was the one sending the kids after you.**

I ignored the comment, straining to hear more as their voices both softened.

"Even if that's true, that doesn't mean we have to play around with forces we don't really understand! Don't you see, that you are endangering your own nephew and niece?"

"Oh I see two very talented human beings-"

"Of which one is a sadist and the other one just tried to steal your damn book! Ford! It's getting out of hand!"

 **He is right.**

I agreed too.

"Okay Stanley. Let's think this through. If we stopped using our new gained power we won't only get a problem with the attendance at the Telepathy-Tent, no, we will have a demon in our house we would have to get rid of."

I had gone completely frozen. What were suddenly they talking about? A cold hand got a hold of me, my thoughts racing and still they were continuing.

"What are you talking about, Ford?"

"You know very well, what I want to say."

Everything slowed down. Even my thoughts. No spoken words could reach me, as realization hit me.

 **They are going to kill you. One way or the other.**


End file.
